Some people see ice as an abomination, I see it as a necessity. I get the whole thing about dilution of “Aqua Vita” taking away some of the original flavor but to me it needs a little softening. So as I said I like ice. That said people that put ice in brandy, should well, be shot.

If however you like your fire water completely in tact yet slightly chilled you really only have one option – Whiskey rocks (Ice cube like cooling stones made from granite).

For a slightly more diluted option you could go with massive squares of ice or other shapes (like an ice tornado) or my new favorite – the whiskey wedge whose larger surface area slows the rate the ice melts or you could go with standard cubes to get more dilution and that clinky effect.

For some higher strength whiskey it’s said you need to add a touch of water so the alcohol doesn’t over power the taste – apparently this lets the flavor come through more and of course lowers the ABV of you beverage.

The debate about ice and water is hotly(!) contested but it’s all about what you like….